If you have ever been asked by some jobs worthy security officer to stop taking photographs whilst in a public place, be assured that they have no legal right to ask you to do so, and you don't need to comply with that request if you don't want to. If you are on private property then they can legally ask you to stop what it is you're doing and you will have to comply with that order. If you have ever been asked to delete an image by the police, then you are within your right to refuse to do so. There simply isn't a law to enforce compliance with such a request, at this moment in time. In both cases you do not have to delete the images taken, and your gear cannot be confiscated by them.
Bye and large, if you are shooting in a public place then you do not need a permit, and thus you are free to do so unhindered. The problem for most people is in determining what a public place is, and what it isn't. For instance, the High Street is a public place, but Shopping Centres are not. There are so many ambiguities on this matter that we really need to work within the boundaries of common sense and not the letter of the law. We need to ask ourselves whether soul or ethics is more important in our work before jumping in with both feet. However, there are some places where photography is prohibited in a public place, and regardless of how daft it may seem, the photographer should respect such requests.
For those visitors to London, taking pictures on the Underground for your own personal use is fine and welcomed. However, both flash and tripods are prohibited for obvious reasons, so don't use them. If you want to use your images commercially then you will need a permit to do so. Taking pictures on overhead trains is fine too, but similar rules to the Underground apply. If you want to spend more than 15 minutes taking pictures on the Underground then you will definitely need a permit to do so.
Airports are privately owned and have restrictions in place. So be aware of this when you use your camera in these places. The rules in other countries may differ of course, so check before doing it.
If someone asks you to delete a picture that you have just taken of them, no matter how good the candid is, it is only courteous to carefully consider their request. Show them the picture you have just taken; tell them what you intend using it for; and give them your business card with your website address on it, so that they can see more of your work. You don't have to comply with their wishes of course, but it could be bad press for all Street Photography if you didn't consider it and a raging legal dispute developed. And besides, it is always best to end such a situation on a friendly basis rather than leave with a bad taste in one's mouth. Of course you could ask them to sign a model release form, so carry a few in your bag for those rare moments you might need one.
There is plenty of information on this subject across the Internet, so if the legal aspect of Street Photography concerns you, remember that Google is your friend.
For those thinking about applying for a permit then this link will help you. Permits for photography in the City of London: https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/about-the-city/what-we-do/filming-in-the-city/Pages/film-and-photography-permissions.aspx
Bye and large, if you are shooting in a public place then you do not need a permit, and thus you are free to do so unhindered. The problem for most people is in determining what a public place is, and what it isn't. For instance, the High Street is a public place, but Shopping Centres are not. There are so many ambiguities on this matter that we really need to work within the boundaries of common sense and not the letter of the law. We need to ask ourselves whether soul or ethics is more important in our work before jumping in with both feet. However, there are some places where photography is prohibited in a public place, and regardless of how daft it may seem, the photographer should respect such requests.
For those visitors to London, taking pictures on the Underground for your own personal use is fine and welcomed. However, both flash and tripods are prohibited for obvious reasons, so don't use them. If you want to use your images commercially then you will need a permit to do so. Taking pictures on overhead trains is fine too, but similar rules to the Underground apply. If you want to spend more than 15 minutes taking pictures on the Underground then you will definitely need a permit to do so.
Airports are privately owned and have restrictions in place. So be aware of this when you use your camera in these places. The rules in other countries may differ of course, so check before doing it.
If someone asks you to delete a picture that you have just taken of them, no matter how good the candid is, it is only courteous to carefully consider their request. Show them the picture you have just taken; tell them what you intend using it for; and give them your business card with your website address on it, so that they can see more of your work. You don't have to comply with their wishes of course, but it could be bad press for all Street Photography if you didn't consider it and a raging legal dispute developed. And besides, it is always best to end such a situation on a friendly basis rather than leave with a bad taste in one's mouth. Of course you could ask them to sign a model release form, so carry a few in your bag for those rare moments you might need one.
There is plenty of information on this subject across the Internet, so if the legal aspect of Street Photography concerns you, remember that Google is your friend.
For those thinking about applying for a permit then this link will help you. Permits for photography in the City of London: https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/about-the-city/what-we-do/filming-in-the-city/Pages/film-and-photography-permissions.aspx